Ring valve construction for combustion chambers



Aug- 8, 1950 R. H. GODDARD 2,518,003

RINO vALvE CONSTRUCTION FOR comsusnou cHAuBERs Filed March 4, 1948 Il f 0 -0 0 0 0 0 F I /FOOEZL Qu/565k?. Imam C72 @gw-wy( Patented Aug. s, 195o I 2,518,003

um'rso s'rA'rEs PATENT osricl:

RING VALVE CONSTBUCTIQN FOR COMBUSTION CHAMBERS Robert H. Goddard, deceased, late o! Annapolis,

Md., by Esther C. Goddard, executrix, Worcester, Mass., assignor of one-half to The Daniel and vFlorence Guggenheim Foundation. New YorlaN. Y., a corporation of New Yorlr Application March 4, 194s, sei-m No. 13,055y

7 Claims. (Cl. 80-44) This invention relates to combustion chambers to which one or both combustion liquids are fed in a rapid succession oi separated small portions which extends completely around the cylinder C and which loosely engages the rolls 25 and maintains them in circumferentially spaced relation,

or slugs. Such combustion chambers have parwhile at the same time permitting free rotation ticular utility in rocket apparatus and in other and rolling movement thereof. iet-propelled mechanism. The number of rolls 25 is neither a multiple Apparatus of this general type is shown in the l nor a divisor of the number of holes 20, so that prior Goddard Patent No. 2,409,036 issued Ocadmission of the slugs of combustion liquid tober 8. 1946. through the ports 20 will be progressive as the j It is the general object of the present invenl0 band 30 and rolls 25 rotate about the cylinder C. tion to produce an improved ring valve con- Consequently, there will be substantially construction for such combustion chambers,inwhich tinuous admission of combustion liquid yto the rotating or anti-friction valve elements are prochamber C, but the liquid will be admitted in vided for opening and closing the admission ports the form of separate slugs which travel along a in the combustion chamber wall. plurality of separate but converging paths. A further object is to provide a ring valve so f The number of holes is commonly one or two constructed that it may be rotated with slight less than the number of rolls. Openings 33 in iriction by a combustion liquid supplied tangenthe band 30 allow free flow of the combustion tially thereto. v liquid to any uncovered port 20. The invention further relates to arrangements In the construction shown in Fig. 3, balls 4l and combinations of parts which will be hereinare substituted for the rolls 25, and the spacing after described and more particularly pointed band 4I has outwardly cupped or displaced porout in the appended claims. tions 42 to loosely receive and locate the balls Preferred forms of the invention are shown 40. Slots 44 in the band 4I permit free access in the drawing, in which of the combustion liquid to ports 45`as they are Fig. 1 is a sectional side elevation of a portion successively uncovered by the balls 40. of a combustion chamber having the improved In the construction shown in Fig. 4, rolls 55 ring valve construction embodied therein; having pointed ends 5I are substituted for the Fig. 2 isav perspective view. partly in section rolls 25 shown in Fig. 2, and these rolls 5l and showing a portion of the valve construction are circumferentiaily spaced in a U-shaped band disclosed in Fig. 1; 54 having flanges 55. Each flange 55 is pro- Figs. 3 and 4 are perspective views similar to vided with circumferentially spaced depressions Pig. 2 but showing modiiled constructions; and adapted to receive the pointed ends of the rolls Fig. 51s a plan view of a volute to be described. 50 and to thus space the rolls circumferentially. Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a combustion cham- 35 Slots 51 permit passage of liquid to ports 55 as ber C is shown as having a lower cylindrical wall the ports are successively uncovered. portion Ill provided with a ilange II, and as In order that the bands and associated rollers having an upper wall portion I2 provided with or balls may be more eiectively rotated, the ena flange I4 and with an Outerasing portion I5. closing volute may be constructed as shown at The ilanges II and I4 and the outer casing I5 o 'lll in Fig. 5, with the combustion liquid supplied form a volute V enclosing a space S to which a tangentially through a series of feed pipes 12. combustion liquid is fed under pressure through Such tangential feed of the combustion liquid a supply pipe I1. to the volute produces rapid rotation of the liquid The wall portion I2 of the chamber C is prowithin the volute and correspondingly rotates the vided with an annular series of ports 20 extends rollers or balls and their associated spacing bands. ing through the chamber wall and preferably Witheach of the constructions above described, inclined downward or toward the discharge end a plurality of inlet ports may be rapidly opened of the chamber. A plurality of rolls 25 are and closed with a minimum of friction loss. and mounted in the channel formed by the inner all moving parts areso constructed that maxi- !aces of the ilanges II and I4 and the outer 50 mum reliability is attained. face of the cylinder wall portion I2. Having thus described the invention and the The rolls 25 preferably have rounded end poradvantages thereof. it will be understood that tions 25 which freely engage the inner faces of the invention is not to be limited to the details the anges II and I4. The rolls 25 are held in herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in spaced relation by a corrugated ring band l0, u the claims, but what is claimed is:

1. In combustion apparatus comprising a combustion chamber having a cylindrical side wall and having an annular series of feeding ports in said wall for a combustion liquid, that improvement 'in valve means for said combustion chamber which comprises casing elements enclosing an annular passage for said liquid, a plurality of valve members mounted to roll in said annular passage and to successively coact with said feeding ports t0 open and close said ports, and means to hold said valve members circumferentially spaced from each other.

2. The combination in combustion apparatus as set forth in claim i, in which the number of rolls differs from the number of ports by a very few units.

3. In combustion apparatus comprising a combustion chamber having a cylindrical side wail and having an annular series of feeding ports in said wall for a combustion liquid, that improvement in valve means for said combustion cham ber which comprises casing elements enclosing an annular passage for said liquid, a plurality as set forth in claim 3, in which the valve members are rolls, and in which the band is corrugated to receive said rolls and to hold said rolls loosely in circumferentially spaced relation.

5. The combination in combustion apparatus as set forth in claim 3, in which the valve members are rolls having pointed ends, and in which the band is U-shaped in section and has spaced depressions in its side iianges to receive said pointed ends and to thereby circumferentially space said rolls.

6. The combination in combustion apparatus as set forth in claim 3, in which the valve members are balls, and in which the band has spaced outwardly displaced portions to receivesaid balls and to-hold them loosely in circumferentially spaced relation.

7. The combination in combustion apparatus as set forth in claim 3, in which the band has openings between adjacent valve members which aiord free circulation of the combustion liquid in said passage and toward said feeding ports.

ESTHER. C. GODDARD, Ezecutrix of the Last Will and Testament 0f Robert H. Goddard, Deceased.

REFERENCES CITED 2,081,510 smart Mey 25,1937 2,109,036` Goddard occ. s, 194s 

